


Educare, Sanare, Coniunctim

by hellaskye



Series: Brookhill College Prep [1]
Category: Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Student/Teacher, F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Private School
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-14
Updated: 2017-08-11
Packaged: 2018-10-31 13:33:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10900380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hellaskye/pseuds/hellaskye
Summary: 'Educare, Sanare, Coniunctim' - To Teach, To Heal, Together. The motto of Brookhill College Preparatory was one that Bucky had mulled over frequently over the last few weeks, mostly because he now worked there, and he had been hoping the latin phrase would give him the confidence boost he needed to feel comfortable in Brookhills halls.ORAfter a teacher down the hall gets shot, Bucky Barnes decides he desperately needs a new job that isn't at a shady middle school. So when his college buddy refers him for a job at a swanky private school, Bucky doesn't say no. Now he just has to get through the year, while having a classroom connected to a guy who is built like an actual golden God.Good lord.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> how many works do i have going now? I have no clue. But this an idea I've been working on for a while now, and with summer coming up, I should be able to keep it updated. High School AUs are my shit, but Teacher AUs are just as fun, if not better.

JHS 240 (Andries Hudde) was never supposed to be a permanent job for James Buchanan Barnes. It was his old middle school, a public hell hole in Brooklyn, in desperate need of a teacher. And Bucky had been in desperate need of a job. 

He’d forgotten how  _ awful _ it was to be in Hudde’s halls, but he’d lasted five years, through lockdowns, and gang wars, and student threats. He’d lasted until the spanish teacher with the classroom down the hall,  _ Senora Fargo _ , had been shot in the leg by a seventh grader. As soon as the year ended, Bucky started looking for a new school in need of a teacher. By the end of the summer, Bucky was once again desperate, and so he took the first offer that came through: Brookhill College Preparatory. It was a ritzy school up in the Upper East Side; completely out of Bucky’s element. But it was  _ safe _ and it actually paid well, and the kids there had bright futures. 

At least, this was what Bucky was trying to tell himself as he sat in his jalopy of an old volkswagon, three days before school returned to session for the year. His rusted car stood out among the rows of shiny BMWs, and he had no doubt that the students wouldn’t even consider driving BMWs to be any sort of honor. From what Clint had told him, they were the kind of kids he’d been growing up. Rich and spoiled, but decent. 

“C’mon Bucky,” he pleaded with himself under his breath. “You can do this.”

He took a breath and climbed out of the car, opening the back door to grab the first of his bins and boxes and walking into Brookhill with his head held high. His clothes weren’t designer and he was driving a car that was nearly as old as he was, but he was a  _ damn _ good teacher, and that was what they hired him for. Now he just needed to tell himself that until he believed it. 

He found classroom 204 and turned on the lights. It was empty, almost unwelcoming, but clean. Buck put his bins down on the teacher’s desk at the back of the classroom and stopped at the door in the back wall. Did it connect to the classroom next door? He reached out to open it, but hesitated. What if someone was in there? That would be awkward. Before Bucky could fully make up his mind, the door flew open and the doorknob hit him in the side. 

He stumbled backwards, doubled over and trying not to wheeze, and he looked up to find the source of the constant stream of ‘ _ sorry sorry sorry _ ’, and almost had a heart attack. Standing above him with a very concerned and nervous look on his face, was the most beautiful guy Bucky had ever seen.  _ Great _ , Bucky thought.  _ I’m teaching with Adonis _ . Blonde and chiseled, the guy had the prettiest blue eyes Buck had ever seen. 

“-I’m  _ so sorry _ , lemme call the nurse.”

Bucky was jolted back to the reality, in which the god-like figure had just  _ hit him _ with the  _ door _ that connected their  _ classrooms _ , just in time to hear the end of his sentence and he groaned, shaking his head. 

“Nope, I’m okay,” he insisted, straightening with a wince. He was gonna have a bruise, for sure, but he didn’t think he had any serious internal bleeding, and honestly, he couldn’t really afford any hospital bills. “I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?” Blonde God asked worriedly. “I got you pretty good there - I’m  _ so  _ sorry, I didn’t realise you’d gotten here already. Most of the teachers tend to arrive later in the day. For some reason the ‘Teacher’s Prep Day’ starts at 3pm for everyone else.”

“Eh, you know,” Bucky shrugged.  _ Fantastic. Already a dork, and it isn’t even the first day of school yet _ . “I figured I’d get a head start, since I’m completely new and all.”

“Right! You’re the new history teacher, yeah? I’m Steve, Steve Rogers, the visual art and english teacher here at Brookhill,” Steve, the blonde god, offered a manly hand and a charming smile. Bucky swallowed and took it. 

“James Barnes, but uh, I go by Bucky.”

“Pleasure, Bucky.”

Pleasure indeed. Before things could get too awkward, the other door to Bucky’s classroom crashed open and Bucky felt a smile spread upon his face. He excused himself to Steve and barely had time to turn around before he felt a body barrel into him.

“CLINT!” Bucky yelled in glee, squeezing his friend. Clint was a good head shorter than him, though he wasn’t really  _ short _ by most standards. 

“BUCK, my  _ man _ !” Clint chuckled into Bucky’s chest, releasing him and gripping his shoulders as he looked him over. “Ah, it’s so good to see you! You look good, man!”

“Thanks, Clint,” Bucky chuckled. “So do you.”

Clint and Bucky had been roommates at NYU, and best friends since. They had both been education minors, but Bucky had been a History major, and Clint had been a Poly Sci major. He’d been the one to alert Bucky to the job opening at Brookhill, and he was the current Social Sciences teacher. They’d seen each other earlier in the summer, but between switching jobs and other pressing matters, it felt like it had been forever.

“Steve, I see you’ve met Bucky,” Clint beamed, looking at the man who was loitering at the back of the classroom.

“I’m not sure if  _ met _ is the right word,” Steve chuckled. “I hit him with a door. But yes, I do now know Bucky.”

“Oh,  _ grand _ . Everyone knows everyone and it’s  _ grand _ ,” a sardonic voice drawled from the doorway. Bucky chuckled as he locked eyes with Kate Bishop, Clint’s mentee and close friend. Bucky should’ve known Kate was there; Kate was not often far from Clint. Kate was a junior at Brookhill, if Bucky was remembering correctly, and despite her sarcastic jabs Bucky was glad she would be in his classes. Kate was sweet, underneath it all, to people she liked at least, and Clint had been living with Bucky when he’d met Kate. Kate’s memories of Bucky were mostly good, and so he’d managed to enter the ranks of the few she liked. 

“What are you doing here, Bishop?” Bucky chuckled holding his fist out for a fist bump. “School doesn’t start until Monday, ya dummy.”

“What, you think Clint could prep for the first day of school without my help?” Kate laughed, bumping her fist with his. “Don’t be stupid.”

In truth, Kate was just avoiding being home and Bucky knew it. She practically lived at Clint’s place, and Clint had adopted her in every sense except legally. Kate’s father was a dick, and on more than one occasion, Kate and Bucky had been forced to stop Clint from starting a fight with him. Derek Bishop was a powerful man, and he pretty much left Kate alone anyway. As long as Kate got decent grades and stayed out of the tabloids, he didn’t care. So Kate and Clint looked out for each other, and Bucky was glad for both of them, that they’d found each other. 

“Fair enough,” Bucky nodded. “Speaking of which, I have to set up my classroom and prep for tomorrow so all of y’all, help or get out.” 

“I’ll help,” Clint offered from where he sat on top of a desk. Kate nodded - rarely one without the other - and everyone looked at Steve.

“I would but I gotta do the same,” Steve said with a wistful smile.

“Leave the door open and we’ll all do both,” Kate offered, eyeing Bucky carefully. Bucky narrowed his eyes at her and tried not to act over-enthused by the idea. Spend the rest of the day with the god-like Steve? Yes please. Make a fool of himself in front of him, courtesy of the too-nosy teen in the room? No thanks. 

“That’s a good idea, Kate,” Steve nodded, impressed. “Is that okay with you, Bucky?”

“Uh, sure, sounds good,” Bucky said, doing his best to sounds casual. “We’ll blast some music, get some work done.”

Four hours later, the team broke for lunch, and both classrooms were pretty much done. Steve and Bucky had decided that they would leave the door between the classrooms open and just be mindful if there was another class going on. By the back wall on both sides, they’d put a few bean bag chairs and filled the shelves with books. Posters had gone up, Bucky and Steve’s desks had been decorated with personal objects, and there was a textbook on every desk. Kate had attempted to put a note on each desk, but after the third one with an obscene message, Bucky had confiscated her pen and delegated her to making a nice welcome message on the chalkboard with Clint.

As Steve and Bucky were closing up the classrooms, Kate whispered something to Clint, and Clint’s face lit up.

“Oh, I totally forgot, thanks Katie,” Clint gave her a high five and Bucky smothered a smirk. Clint was the only person who could get away with calling her Katie and still get some sort of positive reaction. “Bucky! The teachers have a tradition of going to Finelli’s bar, down on 7th street, and having one last blast before the semester starts. You’ll be able to really meet everyone there.”

“Sounds good,” Bucky agreed as the four walked out together. He’d met all the teachers during the interview/hiring process, but it had been fleeting and ultra formal. The chance to get down and really meet everyone would be great.

“So, why didn’t I meet you over the summer?” Bucky asked Steve as they stepped into the parking lot. Kate and Clint peeled off, likely to head to the archery range or back to Clint’s apartment, and Bucky and Steve paused on the sidewalk in front of the school. “I met almost everyone else, I think.”

“Oh, I was doing some work in Ghana over the summer, building schools and such,” Steve chuckled and Bucky  _ again _ almost had a heart attack. A beautiful guy, with eyes and muscles like Steve’s, who did charity work in impoverished countries?  _ Fuck me up _ . 

“Wow, color me impressed,” Bucky raised his eyebrows. “I just...read all summer.”

“I mean that’s not a bad summer to an English teacher,” Steve pointed out with a smile. Bucky laughed and the two lapsed into a comfortable silence. “Uh - I’ll see you tonight?”

“For sure,” Bucky promised walking away with a smile. He got into his jalopy and leaned back, exhaling with a smile. Things were going okay. 

 

* * *

  
  


Bucky got to the address Clint texted him at 8:15. Only five minutes late, yet by the time he got to his friend, Clint was clearly drunk. He stood by Steve and watched as Clint crooned a surprisingly decent karaoke version of “Wind Beneath My Wings”. 

“At least he can carry a tune,” Steve sighed, also watching the stage. Bucky chuckled as Clint managed to hit the chorus an octave higher than necessary. 

“Clint’s a damn good musician when he’s sober,” he agreed. “He’s decent when he’s drunk, I’ll give him that much.”

Clint stumbled off stage, and into the crowd, and Bucky went to go find him, Steve on his heels. They were joking about a very drunk guy in a corner of the room when Bucky was suddenly assailed by Drunk Clint. 

“Got a little bit of pre-drinking done, Clint?” Bucky asked dryly as his friend clung to him. He heard a snort from Clint’s other side, and he looked up and met the green eyes of a very special redhead he hadn’t noticed before. “... _ Natalya?” _

Dropping Clint into a very confused Steve’s arms, Bucky crashed into Nat’s arms, doing his best not to cry. Natalya had been the daughter of one of his father’s old friends in Russia. Bucky had been born in Russia, and had moved when he was 3, but Nat was one of his oldest friends. When they were 9, Natalya’s parents had been killed, and Nat had been sent to live with her Uncle Ivan, a criminal who lived in the States. Nat and Buck had been inseparable during those years, but Ivan was horrible, and it had been hell for Nat. When Nat was 13, she’d escaped Ivan’s care and returned to Russia, back to a family friend she’d learned to trust. In the interest of her safety, Bucky and Nat had lost contact, but he missed her dearly, and always wondered if she’d made it okay. Now, holding her in shaking arms, Bucky realised he’d been more worried for her than he’d thought. 

“You’re  _ here _ ,” Bucky breathed, pulling away and looking at her with watering eyes. Nat wasn’t crying - he hadn’t expected her to - but she was smiling at him and that said enough. “ _ What _ are you doing here, Natalya?” 

“It’s Natasha, now,” she informed him, tucking a shoulder length red tendril behind her ear. “I’m a permanent sub, at Brookhill. Been there for a little over a year.”

“What?” Bucky looked at her in shock, laughing a little bit. The Natalya - Natasha - he knew was  _ terrified _ of kids. Hated all living people in general, but the idea of being responsible for one had always been an acute fear for Nat. Except - he could recall her gentle hands rubbing his back as he cried when they were kids, and the way she knew to hold a crying child in Russia. She was good with people, when she tried, in her own quiet way. “Wh- when? How?  _ How _ ?”

“Remember when I went back to Russia, with that family friend?” Nat laughed quietly, leading him to a booth in a quiet corner. Briefly, he registered that Steve looked upset about something, but he didn’t think very long about it because then Nat,  _ his  _ Nat, was talking again. “The friend that took me in was Nick Fury.” 

Bucky was stunned. “Like, head of the school Nick Fury?”

“Yeah,” she laughed. “When he took over, he offered me a position. Originally it was working for him, in the administration, but I ended up becoming the go-to sub anyways, so he just gave me the job. I help coach some of the girl’s sports too.”

“That’s amazing Nat!” Bucky shook his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe - everything. Fill me in!”

“Wanna play a drinking game?” she asked, grinning wickedly. “Ten shots. Ask me any questions, and I either answer or drink. And vice versa.”

“Deal,” Bucky raised an eyebrow. They were Russian, what would their night be if they didn’t play a drinking game?

Half an hour later, they were 5 shots in, and Bucky severely regretted letting Nat choose the alcohol. The room was fuzzy and loud and he felt light and free. 

“What  _ is _ this, Nat?” Bucky asked, slamming a shot glass down. Nat seemed to be perfectly unaffected by the alcohol, but Bucky knew her well. The smile on her face was genuine and unchecked, and her posture was too relaxed for her to be sober. “I have  _ damn  _ good alcohol tolerance, but I’m very  _ drunk _ .”

“160 proof vodka,” Nat laughed. “It’s 80%, and we’re drinking it straight.”

“God damn,” Bucky shook his head in an effort to clear it. “Whose go is it?”

“Uh, I asked last,” Natasha informed him.  _ Right _ , she’d asked him about his dad and he’d taken a shot instead of answering. 

“What happened to Ivan?” he asked without preamble. Nat threw a drink back, which was no surprise. He hadn’t expected her to answer, he just wanted her to get to his level of drunkenness. She fired back a question about Becca, his little sister, and he drank. Less because she was a touchy subject, and more because he liked the burning sensation. Someone sat down at their table, and it took Bucky a moment to realise it was Steve, still dragging around Clint. 

“ _ Steve _ where ya been, друг?” Bucky laughed. Steve turned to look to Nat, who was now pouring one of the shots in a cup of coffee liqueur and cream. 

“It’s a term of affection in Russian,” she shrugged, sipping her White Russian and pulling the tray of shots away from Bucky. “I think you’re done, дорогая.”

“ _ Wait _ ,” Clint sat up suddenly. He pointed at Bucky and then Nat and then Bucky again. “You guys know each other?” 

“Yes, ястреб,” Natasha chuckled. “We go way back.”

“ _ Wait _ ,” it was Bucky’s turn to sit up and stare at Natasha. “You guys are  _ fucking _ ?”

A number of things happened at once. Steve spit out his drink, Clint fell out of the booth in a tumble of drunken limbs, Natasha burst out laughing and Bucky hit the table and joined her. 

“I  _ knew  _ it,” he crowed.

“Only you would’ve been able to tell from that one sentence,” Natasha shook her head fondly. One look at Steve’s red face sent her back into peals of laughter, but she pulled herself together long enough to help Clint up from the floor and get him standing. 

“We all have prep to do this weekend,” she reminded them, looking around the bar to gauge how the other teachers were doing. “I’m gonna get this one home and get to bed.”

“Smart idea,” Steve nodded, not looking her in the eyes. Natasha smirked, but led Clint away, stopping to talk to different teachers on the way out, presumably warning them to drink a lot of water and go home. Steve looked at Bucky. “How you doing?”

“Fucking  _ great _ ,” Bucky grinned, looking at him. “I haven’t seen that girl in  _ so long _ . Man I’ve missed her.”

“Yeah, you guys seemed close,” Steve murmured, standing up and stretching. His shirt rode up, revealing the bottom of his abs and Bucky watched shamelessly, a small smile on his face. Steve noticed the staring and reddened. “What?”

Bucky just shook his head and attempted to stand as well, except as soon as he did, the world spun and he found himself dropping. He was caught by a pair of arms, and Bucky quickly realized they were Steve’s. “My Prince,” he said lightly, attempting to stand on his own. 

“I got you,” Steve assured Bucky, cheeks pink. “Let’s get you to a cab, yeah?”

“Ya know Steve, you’re quite a guy,” Bucky said as Steve hailed a cab and helped him into it. “You’re just - really great.” 

“Thanks Bucky,” Steve laughed softly. “Drink some water when you get home, alright? Have a good night.”

The last thing Bucky recalled was softly murmuring good night before the lull of the New York streets led him to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky actually meets everyone, and school begins.

Bucky awoke to the sound of his phone beeping at him. He rolled over and hit snooze, burying his head into his pillow to shield his eyes from the brightness of the rising sun.

Buck managed to convince himself to roll out of bed, and he got through his whole morning routine without throwing up from anxiety, which was pretty good. Standing in front of his closet in nothing but a towel, Bucky shook his head. Despite the shindig at the bar, two nights or so previously, Bucky still hadn’t gotten to know the other teachers, seeing as he’d been too preoccupied with catching up with Nat to socialize that night. And Steve, the only one he did know, probably thought he was an idiot after his drunken shenanigans.

Thinking of Steve drew Bucky’s eyes to the slight bruise blossoming on his side. _Damn_ , that guy was strong. His arms were a work of art, and Bucky was _certain_ , thanks to the tight fitting tee he’d been wearing on friday night, Steve had _abs_ . Not just abs, but _abs_. The type of abs that usually screamed ‘I’m straight and definitely not single’, but a boy could dream.

Looking at the clothes in his closet, Bucky felt the stress rising in him. What did he wear to the first day of school at Brookhill? At Hudde it was easy; just something you could move in, just in case some idiot tried to stab someone or something. Plus, no one at Hudde came from money, so no one judged you from showing up in basketball shorts and a t-shirt. Brookhill was literally a place for rich parents to stash their kids. Brow furrowed, Bucky picked up his phone and shot off a text to Clint.

 

<text sent to: ‘Birdbrain’; sent 6:03AM 2017-09-01>

What are you wearing?

<text received from: ‘Birdbrain’; sent 6:09AM 2017-09-01>

What are we, teen girls? I don’t fucking know. Jeans and a decent shirt?

 

“Fuck you too, Clint.” Bucky muttered, but a small smile was on his face, and his chest felt a little less tight. Bucky pulled out a pair of dark wash jeans that fit well, and a grey long sleeve shirt. Casual, but presentable, and the long sleeve would hide the scars that ran up and down his left arm. He pulled his hair into what Clint referred to as a man-bun, and puttered into the kitchen, pouring himself a mug of coffee and pouring the rest of the pot into a travel mug. He and Steve were sharing a kettle between their classrooms, but instant coffee was never as good as properly brewed shit. Bucky pulled his waffle out of the toaster and grabbed his keys, jogging down to his volkswagon while whistling through his teeth.

The drive to Brookhill took a little under half an hour, but it seemed to zoom by to Bucky, who had begun to grip the steering wheel like it was going to get away. He pulled into staff parking, noticing the scarcity of cars in student parking. _Right. The kids didn’t have to be here for another hour_. School started at 7:45, but Clint had warned him that most teachers got to school at least an hour before that, at least on the first day of school, and that they always had an unofficial meeting on the first day.

Speaking of Clint, the birdbrain was now rapping on his window, Natasha behind him. She was holding a cup of coffee, but the glare she gave him as he stepped out of his car told him she was _anything_ but awake. Clint was also holding a cup of coffee, but his was half empty, and his eyes were much more awake than Nat’s.

“You ready for today, Bucky-boy?” Clint asked as they walked towards the school, making Bucky cringe and Nat snort. “What?”

“Please, never say Bucky-boy, ever again,” Natasha shook her head in faux-despair, but gave Clint a peck on the cheek in a rare display of affection. The trio were still laughing as they turned into the staff lounge, but Bucky’s laughter died in his throat as his anxiety bubbled up. Now Bucky regretted not getting to know the other teachers on Friday. _Way to go, Barnes_.

He stood awkwardly in the doorway, watching other teachers bustling to fill their coffee cups, or chatting to each other while lounging on the nice couches in the middle of the room. They were all so comfortable, they all clearly knew one another, and even Nat and Clint had gotten distracted by a pretty blonde (the math teacher, maybe?) who was telling them a story. Bucky had started to feel like he was going to awkwardly intrude in the doorway forever, when a warm hand landed on the small of his back, making him jump a little.

“Hey, sorry to scare you. Good morning,” Steve smiled at him, standing with him. Bucky shot back the best smile he could manage with the pit of anxiety in him. Steve raised an eyebrow. “You feeling okay?”

         “A little nervous. A little out of place,” Bucky managed a laugh. Steve nodded, eyes full of understanding, and he guided Bucky into the room gently.

“Hey Tony, do you remember Bucky Barnes?” Steve asked a small man with a goatee who had a slightly manic look in his eye. Tony Stark, the school’s physics teacher and a resident celebrity shook his hand easily.

“Sure, the new history teacher, right? Tony Stark, physics.”

“Great to meet you again,” Bucky nodded, remembering how to interact socially. The tightness in his chest loosened a little as Tony flashed him a smile. One interaction done properly, a billion and one to go.

Steve didn’t leave his side for the next half hour, introducing him to the chemistry teacher (Bruce Banner, a small quiet man that seemed like he had a secret), the _other_ physics teacher (Jane Foster, who technically had a PhD in astrophysics), the PE teacher (Thor Odinson, who apparently was royalty from a small municipality in Europe), the nurse (a no-nonsense British woman named Peggy), the _other_ PE teacher (a woman named Melinda, that Bucky vaguely knew through Clint as well), the Vice Principal (a woman named Pepper Potts who seemed _very_ put together), the head of administration (Maria Hill, who either came from the military or the FBI or something, the math teacher (Bobbi Morse, who was not only the biology sub, but also Clint’s ex girlfriend) and the two language teachers (twins, coincidentally, Wanda and Pietro, who were from somewhere near Ukraine, but spoke 3 or 4 languages each). As Wanda and Bucky were discussing where they were from in very excited russian, a piercing whistle cut through the chatter, and a man in an eyepatch stood on a chair, Maria and Pepper standing on either side of him.

“Brookhill Faculty and Staff! As all of you _should_ know,” a stern, one-eyed look from Principal Fury, “I am Nick Fury, Brookill College Preparatory’s  Principal and Commander in Chief. Welcome to another first day of school! Most of you know him already, but we have a new history teacher, James Barnes-”

Bucky gave a little wave as Fury pointed to him. The anxiety started to creep back into his throat, but then Fury moved on.

“Don’t scare him away yet, please folks. Our first faculty meeting is on Wednesday - everyone will be there. Have a good first day of school, the kids should be arriving -”

“Now,” Kate interrupted, walking into the _Faculty_ Lounge with a giant box of donuts. Fury didn’t bother telling her off for trespassing, and instead took a donut and walked away. Bucky raised an eyebrow, impressed.

“Does she do that every year?” he asked Steve, watching her as she doled out donuts to her teachers. She handed Clint and Nat a separate bag, and chatted with everyone easily, like she wasn’t at all worried about being out of place in the Faculty Lounge, 15 minutes before she needed to be at school.

“Every year she’s been here so far,” Steve nodded, smiling. “She actually just showed up with Clint on her first day of school, freshman year, and refused to leave. Fury has a bit of a soft spot for her now. Honestly, we all do.”

“She’s a good kid,” Bucky agreed, accepting a donut from her with a smile and a wink, and following Steve down the hall to their classrooms.

“How do you know her? Through Clint, I know, but Clint hasn’t said too much about you, other than that you guys were high school friends and college roommates.”

“Yeah, that’s pretty much right,” Bucky shrugged. “Clint’s last foster family before we graduated and he aged out of the system were some family friends, and Clint spent his last two years of high school with me. We ended up at the same college, and we were pretty good friends, so we bunked together. That was how we became such good friends, you can’t live with Clint and not become really fond of him. Clint picked up Katie during our senior year at NYU, and I guessed I passed her test.”

“I don’t know if she’s told you, but she’s really excited you’re here,” Steve told him with a smile. Bucky glanced at him in surprise, and he chuckled. “When Clint told her she was practically bursting with joy, I swear.”

“That’s sweet,” Bucky murmured, smiling. In this hallway outside of their classrooms, the chatter of students reuniting got louder and louder as more students showed up. He looked at Steve and offered him a nervous chuckle. “Ready for the first day?”

“Sure,” Steve said easily, and _damn_ Bucky hated how nonchalant he was. Bucky, on the other hand was a wreck. Before he could voice his thoughts, however, a bell rang, and Pepper’s cool voice beckoned students to homeroom. Bucky looked at Steve with wide eyes.

“ _I_ have homeroom students,” Bucky whispered with horror. Steve gave him a reassuring smile and squeezed his arm.

“I’ll be in the classroom one over, and we’ll keep the door cracked,” Steve said patiently. “Plus, you’ll do amazing. Go get ‘em.”

Bucky nodded and stepped into his classroom, closing the door halfway behind him. Students had started to file in, choosing seats and chatting with his friends. He waited until everyone had settled before clearing his throat. Suddenly, 19  pairs of expectant eyes were on him and his mouth was suddenly dry.

“Hello,” he managed to croak out, swallowing hard. “I am Mr. Barnes, history teacher, and your homeroom teacher for this semester. We seem to be missing a student, so I’m gonna start with attendance, and then we have an assembly in the Auditorium in about 10 minutes.”

No one raised any objections, so Bucky circled to his computer and began calling names. He was three or four names in when his door flew open and a familiar blonde came in. Bucky almost cried in relief.

“Hey Buck- Mr. Barnes, I’m so sorry I’m late,” Cassandra Lang panted slightly, sliding into the empty seat in the third row. “Dad’s car broke down again.”

“I haven’t gotten to the L’s yet, so you’re good,” Bucky reassured her with a warm smile. Ending up with Kate’s best friend in his homeroom was a fortune he had somehow not realised he had gotten, but the tightness in his chest relaxed a bit more. He returned his attention to the role sheet. “Kamala Khan?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comment, leave kudos, etc :) it really does increase productivity
> 
>  
> 
> [catch me on tumblr](http://itskatebishops.tumblr.com)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky tackles his anxiety and his first day

Bucky’s homeroom class wasn’t so bad, and they were quite forgiving of his stumbles as he worked through his duties as a homeroom teacher, which really, was mainly taking roll. By the time he’s done, he had about five or so minutes before they had to go to the assembly, so he introduced himself, and then herded them all out and towards the auditorium. 

“How’d it go?” Steve asked, leading his own class. His voice took on a teasing tone as he winked at Bucky. “We didn’t hear any screams or anyone bursting out of your room in a panic, so we assumed you guys were alright.”

“Funny,” Bucky rolled his eyes dryly, but he was smiling. “It went pretty well, I think. Cassie Lang is in my homeroom, and I already knew her, so that was a nice break.”

“Right, she’s Kate’s best friend, right?” Steve asked. At Bucky’s nod, he chuckled. “Pro-tip, if you have them together in any of your classes. Either separate them or put them in the front row. Otherwise you will have chaos and no learning.”

“Thanks for the tip,” Bucky snorted. He’s not surprised. He’s seen Kate and Cassie in action outside of class, and he’s seen the chaos they can stir up when bored. A thought struck him as they enter the auditorium, and he turned to Steve with a panicked look. “Is Fury going to make me get up on stage and introduce myself?”

“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Steve reassured him as they walked towards the back of the auditorium where the other teachers were standing. “Fury’s more perceptive than that; if you don’t want to, he won’t ask you to. Take Tony and Bruce for example. Same subject, different people. When Tony first started, Fury gave him the mic and 15 minutes. When Bruce started, Fury barely mentioned him.”

Comforted, Bucky turned to the stage as the Principal took the mic, effectively silencing the entire student body. 

“Welcome freshman, and welcome back the rest of you lot, to Brookhill Prep.” Fury paused as some upperclassmen cheered, and rolled his eyes. “Yeah yeah, it's exciting. Can I get to business? We have a new history teacher, since you lot ran Ms. Martinelli out of here. Mr. Barnes, put a hand up.”

Startled, and a little concerned with what Fury had just said about the last history teacher, Bucky didn't have much time to think about what was happening, and so he just put his hand up, giving it a little wave. Fury nodded once and students turned in their seats to see the new face. 

“Yes, that's him, moving on. Mr. Coulson, our dean of students, is here to give us our announcements for our first day.”

That was it? Bucky let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. That wasn't at all bad. Next to him, Steve chuckled. 

“You nailed it, Barnes.” 

Up on the stage, Phil was introducing the Student Body President, a girl who introduced herself as Gwen Stacy. She seemed charismatic and put together, and she promised the students a fun year with a sincere smile. They wrapped up the assembly by announcing the various sports games that were coming up now that school had started again, and then it was over, and the students were getting up. 

“It’s first period, you little shits,” a senior called over the crowd, and Bucky chuckled. Next to him, he could hear Steve doing the same. 

“That’s Wade Wilson,” Steve shrugged. “And that’s as much explanation as you’re going to get about him. There’s not much more to say. Do you have a class right now?”

“Yeah, the juniors,” Bucky nodded. On the one hand, it was Kate and Cassie, and their friends, which meant it would be mostly made up of people he knew. On the other hand, it was  _ Kate _ and  _ Cassie _ and their  _ friends _ , which meant there was potential for them to be holy terrors. 

Steve clasped him on the back as they reached their classrooms, and Bucky stood at the front of his as the juniors filed in, all still catching up with each other. Kate shot him a wink as she came in, accompanied by Cassie and another brunette that Bucky didn’t know. Immediately, they went to the back row, but Bucky snorted and shook his head. 

“Oh nope - Bishop!” he pointed to the seat in front of him. “Front row, kid. I was  _ warned _ .”

Thankfully, Kate didn’t make a big fuss, but just laughed and complied, sitting in front of him, still flanked by Cassie and the other girl. 

“Was it Mr. Rogers?” Cassie asked with an impish grin. Bucky registered some surprise at the fact that they knew who had ratted them out, and Cass laughed. “I hate to admit it, but he’s one of the teachers who’s gotten the worst of us. He’s had Katie and I for three years straight now.”

“He’s a good man,” Kate nodded solemnly, but she winked at Bucky again, and it took all his willpower not to throttle her. He settled for an exasperated headshake, confident that he’d know what he was exasperated about. How did Clint do this all the time? 

“Alright!” he said, hushing the class. His voice was casual and confident and he took a second to mentally commend himself before he continued. “Welcome to History Three. I know it’s difficult to have teachers switch right before your junior year, so I’m gonna need all of you to help me work out what I can do to help you guys best, alright? Okay, let’s take a minute to do roll, and then begin…”

 

* * *

 

“- so, yes, the 1910s were largely occupied by World War I, but, on a  _ happier _ note, it was when Oroes were first sold.”

The bell rang and students jumped up. Bucky was not offended by their eagerness to leave. He’d been in high school, he knew it wasn’t personal, and almost every single student said goodbye and thanks before they left. Cassie darted out, but Kate and the brunette - America- lingered. 

“That was pretty good, Barnes,” Kate drawled with a smile. He shot her one in return, grateful for the praise. Her companion seemed to agree, and she was a tough girl to please, as far as Bucky could tell. “Interesting  _ and _ educational. I’m officially impressed.”

“Thanks, kiddo. I’m pretty impressed with you too,” he grin became less pleased and more shit-eating, and Kate raised an eyebrow. “Well, with your restraint. You managed to keep your mouth mostly shut for fifty  _ whole _ minutes.”

America laughed as Kate thumped him on the arm, but they walked out laughing and Bucky counted that as a success. He had the next period free, before he had to deal with the freshmen, so he peeked into Steve’s classroom. Finding it empty, he travelled down the hall, passing Clint’s classroom as he went. Clint had the juniors now, it seemed. Bucky could tell because the dulcet tones of a Bishop/Barton argument was drifting out of the classroom. 

“You’d think that after over five years of being inseparable, they’d learn how to keep it out of school,” Bucky said as he walked into the teacher’s lounge and headed to grab a bagel. The lounge was mostly empty, thankfully, with just Natasha and Steve sitting on a couch, talking to Pepper. 

“Kate and Clint at it again?” Natasha smirked as he came to join them, sitting in a very comfortable armchair next to Pepper. He nodded, mouth full of bagel, and Nat shook her head fondly. “I heard them too. It seemed to be subject related at least. They were debating the merits of nominating Bernie Sanders instead of Hillary Clinton.”

“I wonder if it’s going to lead to Kate showing the class that video,” Pepper mused mildly, surprising Bucky. He hadn’t yet gotten to know Pepper, but for some reason, the idea of Kate pestering Pepper with her millennial nonsense was unexpected. “The Hillary Clinton love song?”

“Mrs. HRC, the one that R5 made up?” Nat laughed. “I don’t doubt it will. Kate knows that song by heart.”

“Speaking of Kate, how’d it go with the juniors?” Steve asked Bucky. “Any riots or revolts happen? Everyone get out whole?”

“Haha,” Bucky said dryly, sticking his tongue out at the smirking Natasha. “It went well, I think. No riots or anything yet. Everyone seems to be interested and engaged.”

“They’re good kids here,” Pepper hummed with a smile. She was the head of admin, if Bucky was remembering correctly, but Bucky had a feeling she was a favorite among the kids.

“I’m sure the kids at Bucky’s old school were  _ also _ good kids,” Steve was protesting lightly. Bucky broke out of his thoughts and gave a snort. Steve looked over at him, confusion evident. 

“I left my old school because one of the kids shot a teacher down the hall,” Bucky clarified. Steve looked horrified, but Bucky shrugged. “Some of them  _ were  _ great, though. Really bright kids in shitty situations. It sucks.”

The bell rang before Steve could respond, and Bucky bade everyone a brief farewell and jumped up to go meet the freshmen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it's been so long! Just so you all know, the song they're talking about, the one about Hillary? Completely a real thing - look up 'Mrs. HRC R5' for entertainment. It's a great song.
> 
> i'm gonna get an outline put together so chapters should start coming faster in about a week? I'm almost out of school thank god.
> 
> review review review! it really does speed up the writing process.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first week of school comes to a close, and the Barnes Family Monthly Dinner is underway, complete with the ritualistic argument about Bucky's sexuality.

By the end of the first week, Bucky was exhausted, but steadily running on endorphins. It had been  _ such  _ a good week. Clint was right, it was amazing to teach kids who actually wanted to learn, and didn’t try to stab you in the thigh when you were running detention. The bell rang, releasing his seniors, and they all filed out, calling out various goodbyes and pleasantries. Bucky was pleasantly surprised when Grant Ward, a senior with whom Bucky had been having some trouble connecting, called out a gruff ‘ _ have a good weekend _ ’ before he left. 

“A good week, judging by your grin?” Steve asked, wandering into Bucky’s classroom. They’d both gotten into the habit of just walking into each other’s classrooms in between classes or during breaks. Bucky had managed to keep his cool about it, and he actually had gotten to know Steve really well. Steve was from Brooklyn too - just down the street from where Bucky lived. They had realized they probably were in the same middle school class, and grew up in the same neighborhood. They had both served in the military too, though Steve wouldn’t tell him anything other than the fact that he was in SpecOps. Bucky had served with a team that called themselves the Howling Commandos, the 107th infantry with the Army, but he had yet to figure out where Steve had served. 

Bucky had become good friends with the rest of the faculty and staff as well. Tony Stark was insensitive as all  _ fuck _ , but Bucky didn’t mind him. Mostly, he was worried that Tony was going to say something to set him off. Bruce Banner, the chemistry/biology teacher was nearly Tony’s opposite - quiet and introverted. He seemed more scientist than teacher, but the kids loved him. Bucky hadn’t really spent any time with Ms. Foster, the AP physics and astrology elective teacher, but he knew she was dating Thor, who was impossible to avoid. Thor was large, loud, and very social. The kids  _ adored _ him. He knew the math teacher from when she’d been dating Clint - Bucky had bonded with her over what a mess Clint was - but he caught up with her and found out she had a fiance, and a possible foster kid, eventually. 

“ _ Great _ week,” Bucky agreed, smiling at him. “I even got through to Ward. How was yours?”

“Pretty good,” Steve smiled. “I met a freshman, Skye, who’s really sweet. Apparently, she’s Melinda’s foster kid.”

“Oh yeah, Skye, I met her once or twice,” Bucky nodded as they meandered into the faculty lounge. Bucky stopped to set his bag down for a second, walking over to snatch an iced coffee from the expensive-as- _ balls _ espresso maker Tony Stark had gifted to the school. Steve followed him over shaking his head fondly.

“God, you and your caffeine,” he poured some hot water over a tea bag as he spoke. “You’re gonna give yourself a heart attack.” 

“Can’t overdose on caffeine if your blood is nothing but black coffee,” Clint butted in cheerfully, reaching over Bucky for a cup of coffee of his own. Natasha shook her head but she was smiling. 

“I don’t think that’s how that works,  _ yastreb _ ,” she chuckled. She turned to Bucky, still smiling. “What are your weekend plans?”

“Family weekend,” Bucky sighed. “Or, an event for my mother to fuss about how skinny I am, and how I’m never going to settle down with the right girl.”

“I thought…” Steve trailed off, a confused look on his face, blushing. Bucky let him struggle for a second before saving him. 

“I’m gay? I am. They like to pretend I didn’t come out.”

“Jesus,” Steve muttered, the closest Bucky had ever heard to him cursing. Bucky shrugged. 

“They don’t even mean to be homophobic, they just -” Bucky struggled to find the right words for it. “They refuse to believe  _ I  _ could be gay. My siblings are accepting, but they don’t stand up to my parents, either.”

“Becca does,” Clint argued, downing his coffee at an inhuman rate. “I’ve heard her get into all out fights with your parents about it.”

“That’s true,” Bucky conceded. For Steve’s benefit, he added. “My baby sister. We’re super close, and she’s the only girl, so she can get away with arguing with my parents about stuff. She stands up for me.” 

Bucky had four siblings, two older brothers, and a younger sister and brother. Eugene, his oldest brother, was well into his late thirties. He was almost eight years older than Bucky, and he had been the first to leave the family nest. After high school, Eugene had gotten into a university on the West Coast, and he’d been gone for the majority of Bucky’s teen years. After getting his medical license, Dr. Eugene Barnes moved back to New York, with a pregnant girlfriend in tow. They’d had a shotgun wedding, assisted by Bucky’s mom, and now had a three year old daughter, Angelina. 

Bucky’s second brother, Michael, had gone a different route than his older brother. As a teen, Michael had fallen in with some shady characters, and now every time his mom called, Bucky half expected to hear ‘ _ Michael is in jail can you bail him out _ ’ in very panicked Russian. Their mom left Michael alone, other than the usual nagging about getting a  _ steady _ job, mostly because the gangster friends he had were all Russian. Bucky was betting that Michael’s current employer were the Bratva, but he sure as hell wasn’t getting involved. 

After Bucky, was born Rebecca. Becca was 23, barely out of college, and working as a journalist for some online news site. Her pieces were good, good enough that she was getting real stories and not fluff pieces, but their mom worried for her safety. Honestly, Bucky worried for her safety too, but he wasn’t fool enough to bring it up with her. After growing up with Becca, and Natasha, Bucky had no problem believing she could defend herself. 

Bucky’s youngest brother, Aleksander, was barely 19. Alek was the last of his siblings to live at home, and was definitely babied. He was eight years younger than Bucky, and Bucky treated him as such. Alek was quiet, almost timid next to Becca and her lack of all fear.

Saturday morning, Bucky pulled into the driveway of his parents’ home, in the New York suburb where they’d moved after Bucky graduated. He agreed that Brooklyn was not a great place to raise teenagers, one look at Michael told him that, but he was a little bitter that his parents hadn’t moved until after Bucky had left. The neighborhood the y lived in now was  _ nice _ . 

As soon as he closed his car door, Becca came flying out of the house to hug him. He dropped the duffle bag he was holding just in time to catch her, but he squeezed her tight. 

“Hey Becca,” he grinned into her hair. She pulled away but left one arm wrapped around his waist and picked up his duffel. She led him into the house, chattering about her latest assignment and the hot new photojournalist at the company. As soon as he stepped in the house, the sweet smell of his mother’s homemade vatrushka - a pastry that consisted of a ring of dough with a cheese product in the middle- overwhelmed him and he smiled. He  _ had  _ to bring some home for Nat. Thinking of Natasha reminded him - 

“Hey Becca, remember my friend Natalya?” Bucky asked as he followed Becca into the room that had been designated as ‘his’ after the move. She threw his duffel on the bed and nodded, turning to face him. He grinned. “She works with me now.”

“Didn’t she go back to Russia when you guys were like, twelve?” Becca asked, jaw dropping. Bucky laughed. Becs had only been seven when Natasha had left, and only four when Nat had joined them in the first place, but Nat had been a big sister for poor Becca, who was stuck in a family of boys. 

“Thirteen, but yeah,” Bucky nodded. Becca shook her head slowly. “I was gonna tell Ma and Pa during dinner.”

“I’m sure they’d love to see her again,” Becca agreed enthusiastically. Bucky raised an eyebrow and she gave in, laughing. “Alright, yes,  _ I’d _ love to see her again, but so would they, I’m sure.”

“I was gonna bring her along tonight, but I figured giving them a month to process would make a family weekend less overwhelming for Nat,” Bucky told her as they walked to the kitchen to greet their parents. Becca, who had been at the family house for the entire day, slipped away to join their siblings in the living room. Bucky watched her go longingly. The smart thing to do would be to avoid the kitchen while their mother was cooking, but if he  _ didn’t _ go in and greet his parents, he’d be skinned alive by his father. And guilted into tears by his mother. So, Buck sucked in a breath and pushed open the door. 

“ _ James, you’re home!” _ his mother cried in Russian as soon as she saw him. His father looked up from where he was wrestling with a pot of boiling  _ pelmeni _ , then came and wrapped his son in a hug. 

“ _ Grigory, the pelmeni _ ,” Elena chided, pushing him out of the way with all of her five feet and giving Bucky an equally strong hug. Grigory nodded curtly, clapping Bucky on the arm and returning to the boiling pot. Immediately, Elena turned to Bucky and started bemoaning his weight, and how skinny he’d gotten, and how he wasn’t  _ eating _ . 

“Okay Ma,” Bucky managed to fend her off. “I’m gonna go talk to Becca now, okay?”

 

* * *

 

Fifteen minutes later, Bucky stumbled into the living room, sweaty and disheveled. His siblings jeered as he finally joined them, Michael ruffling his hair roughly.

“Okay, fuck all of you for getting here before Ma had started dinner,” Bucky smacked Michael back, albeit half-heartedly. “She’s going crazy, I don’t know how Pa manages in there.”

“Forty-five years of marriage hath given him experience,” Becca said solemnly, using a terrible english accent in an attempt to make it sound like a proverb. The siblings burst out laughing, before all talking over each other. Becca and Aleks were having an intense discussion about Aleks’s upcoming college applications, while Eugene, Michael and Melissa, Eugene’s wife, were hotly debating whether or not there would be a reboot of  _ The Office _ . Somehow, Melissa had snuck Angie into Bucky’s arms, and she was currently giggling and tugging at a strand of his hair, which had fallen out of it’s man-bun.

“You hab long hair,” Angie told him solemnly. Bucky nodded at her and she tugged at the piece again. “It’s longer than mine.”

“It  _ is _ ?” Bucky gasped in faux-shock, making Angie giggle harder. He broke, laughing with her and tickling her. “You are too cute, Angelina Barnes.”

“Tenk you!” she replied cheerfully, smacking a kiss on his cheek. The movement caught Becca’s eye, and she turned to Bucky.

“I’m surprised Mama hasn’t told you to cut it yet,” Becca raised an eyebrow, gesturing to his man bun. Bucky snorted, shaking his head.

“She will. Wait until dinner.” 

 

* * *

 

“James,” Elena said, almost immediately after the dinner blessing ended. Bucky tapped Becca under the table, and she zoned into their conversation just in time to hear her continue with: “It is time for a haircut,  _ Yasha _ .” 

“I  _ like _ it, Ma,” Bucky shook his head as Becca giggled. Elena sniffed. “Besides, the kids at school think it’s cool.”

“Ah yes, how is your new job going, James?” Grigory asked in heavily accented english, putting his fork down to scrutinize Bucky properly. 

“Oh, it’s good. Rewarding as always,” Bucky shrugged, before brightening. “You know who works at the school with me though? Remember Natalya.”

“Of the Romanovas?” Elena asked, getting excited as Bucky nodded, mouth full of food. “ _ Oh _ , I loved her! How is she? Are you going to court her, James? You should bring her here-”

“Mama, Bucky isn’t into girls,” Becca reminded her, an edge in her voice. The two women immediately started arguing in Russian, and Bucky sunk low in his seat, avoiding his father’s eyes. 

Just a normal night in the Barnes household.

**Author's Note:**

> comments and kudos are well loved!


End file.
